Centrifugal clutch driving connection



Dec. 21, 1954 e. CURTIS CENTRIFUGAL CLUTCH DRIVING CONNECTION FiledSept. 6, 1951 V 7 W\ //////A INVENTOP ,BY HIS ATTO RNEYS United StatesPatent CENTRIFUGAL CLUTCH DRIVING CONNECTION Geotrrey Curtis, Coventry,England, assignor to Courtaulds Limited, London, England, a Britishcompany Application September 6, 1951, Serial No. 245,412

Claims priority, application Great Britain September 28, 1950 2 Claims.(Cl. 242-465) This invention relates to twisting and spinning spindles.

It has been proposed, see for example British patent specifications Nos.151,806 and 222,438, to provide textile twisting and spinning spindleswith clutch mechanism which grips the bobbin or like yarn holder underthe action of centrifugal force when the spindle is rotating.

The object of the present invention is to provide an improved type ofcentrifugal clutch for use in twisting and spinning spindles.

According to the present invention, a twisting or spinning spindle fordriving textile-collecting bobbins at a speed of at least 2,000revolutions per minute comprises a rotatable shaft, a tubeconcentrically fixed around and to the shaft for rotation therewith, alower seating on the shaft providing a close fit with the bore of thebobbin and, at the upper end portion of the shaft and adjacent to theupper end portion of the tube, a centrifugal clutch comprising aflexible ring of substantially U-shaped crosssection concentric with theshaft and so arranged that, when the shaft is stationary, the bobbin canbe passed over the upper end portion of the shaft, over the clutch andover the tube to a position where the lower end of the bobbin rests onthe seating but that, when the shaft is rotating, the outer limb of thering is urged outwardly by centrifugal force into driving contact withthe wall defining the bore of the bobbin and the bobbin is thusautomatically gripped. The flexible ring is preferably made ofvulcanised soft rubber.

The spindle according to the invention is particularly suitable fordriving bobbins described in my copending application Serial No. 245,411of even date, now Patent No. 2,674,418 granted April 6, 1954. Theseating may then be suitably tapered to fit closely in the splayed lowerend of the bobbin. Alternatively, if the bobbin has a lower cylindricalpart, the seating may also be cylindrical so that it fits of the bobbin.

It is an advantage of the spindle according to the present inventionthat it is self-centering.

An example of a spindle constructed in accordance with the presentinvention is shown in the accompanying drawing which is a frontelevation partly in cross-section.

Referring to the drawing, a tube 1 is concentrically fixed around adriving shaft 2 of an electric motor 3 and has its lower end clampedbetween a collar 4 and a seating 5, and has its upper end positionedbetween a screw collar 6 and a threaded collar 7 located at the upperend portion of shaft 2, said screw collar 6 and said threaded collar 7being fixed to the shaft and being rotatable therewith. The seating hasa push fit on the casing 8 of the electric motor 3, and two ribs 9 inthe bore of seating 5 are received in keyways 10 in the casing 8. Theshaft 2 is secured to the casing 8 by a lock nut 18. The outer surfacesof the collar 4, the seating 5 and an outer ring 11 on the casing 8 areshaped to provide a close fit with the lower portion of the walldefining the bore of the bobbin placed thereon. The screw collar 6 atthe upper end portion of the shaft 2 has a downwardly projecting annularflange 12 concentric with and spaced outwardly from the collar 7 fixedon the upper end portion of shaft 2, which annular flange enters betweenthe limbs of a vulcanised rubber ring 13 of U- shaped cross-section.Ring 13 is concentric with the shaft 2, the collar 6 being held in placeby a clamping nut 15 screwed on the threaded collar 7. Shaft 2, collar7, and tube 1 may be said to constitute a shaft assembly which issurrounded by the flexible ring 13 and the anclosely in the lowercylindrical part nular flange 12-,Of collar 6, these component partscooperat ng to form a positive driving, connection with the bobbinadapted to be driven by thejspindle when thel shaft is rotatingftheannular flange 12'ofcollar 6 being spaced outwardly'frorn saidshaft-assembly a distance slightly less than the thickness of the innerlimb'ofsaid flexible 'ring.

The inner limb 14 of the ring 13 is gripped between the annular flange12 of the collar 6 and the upper end portion of tube 1, whereas theouter limb 16 of said ring is free to move outwardly. When the spindleis stationary, a bobbin can be dropped over the upper part of thespindle on to the seating 5, but when the spindle is rotating at highspeeds, the outer limb 16 is thrown outwardly b y centrifugal force tothe position shown in dotted outline at 17 so that it bears against theinternal surface of the bobbin. In this manner the ring 13 acts as aselfcentering frictional driving device for the bobbin.

What I claim is:

l. A twisting spindle for driving textile-collecting bobbins at a speedof at least 2,000 revolutions per minute comprising a rotatable shaftassembly including a shaft, 21 lower seating on the shaft adapted toprovide a close fit with the wall defining the lower end portion of thebore of a bobbin adapted for mounting on said shaft, 21 centrifugalclutch mounted on the upper end portion of the shaft and comprising aflexible ring substantially U- shaped in transverse cross section andconcentrically arranged with respect to said shaft assembly, a membermounted on the upper end of said shaft for rotation therewith andadjacent said flexible ring, said member including an annular flangeconcentrically arranged with respect to said shaft assembly and spacedoutwardly therefrom a distance slightly less than the thickness of theinner limb of said flexible ring, said flange being disposed between thelimbs of the flexible ring and clamping the inner limb of said ringbetween the shaft assembly and flange to cause rotation of said ringwith said shaft, the outer limb of said flexible ring having, when theshaft is stationary, a maximum external diameter slightly less than thediameter of the wall defining the bore of a bobbin adapted for mountingon said shaft so that when the shaft is stationary, said bobbin can bepassed over the upper end portion of the shaft and over the flexiblering to a position where the lower end of said bobbin rests on saidlower seating, said outer limb of said flexible ring, when the shaft isrotating, being urged by centrifugal force into driving contact with thewall defining the upper end portion of the bore of said bobbin, wherebysaid bobbin is automatically gripped for rotation by said shaft.

2. A twisting spindle for driving textile-collecting bobbins at a speedof at least 2,000 revolutions per minute comprising a rotatable shaftassembly including a shaft, a lower seating on the shaft adapted toprovide a close fit with the wall defining the lower end portion of thebore of a bobbin adapted for mounting on said shaft, said shaft assemblyalso including an externally-threaded collar secured to said shaftadjacent the upper end thereof for rotation by said shaft, aninternally-threaded collar threadedly secured to saidexternally-threaded collar for rotation by said shaft, a centrifugalclutch mounted on the upper end portion of the shaft and comprising aflexible ring substantially U-shaped in transverse cross section andconcentrically arranged with respect to said shaft assembly, saidinternally-threaded collar having an annular flange concentricallyarranged with respect to said shaft assembly and spaced outwardlytherefrom a distance slightly less than the thickness of the inner limbof said flexible ring, said flange being disposed between the limbs ofthe flexible ring and clamping the inner limb of said ring between theshaft assembly and said flange to cause rotation of said ring with saidshaft, the outer limb of said flexible ring having, when the shaft isstationary, a maximum external diameter slightly less than the diameterof the wall defining the bore of a bobbin adapted for mounting on saidshaft so that when the shaft is stationary, said bobbin can be passedover the upper end portion of the shaft and over the flexible ring to aposition where the lower end of said bobbin rests on said lower seating,said outer limb of said flexible ring, when the shaft is rotating, beingurged by centrifugal force into driving contact with the wall definingthe upper end portion of the bore of said bobbin, whereby said bobbin isautomatically gripped for rotation by said shaft.

2,575,776 White -IIIIIIIIIIIIIII'Nw. 20, 1951 10 4 FOREIGN PATENTSCountry Date France May 18, 1927 Italy June 1, 1937

